- Viola (Brazil)
Besides the instrument of the violin family, viola is also the name for a 10-string steel-string acoustic guitar, used in Brazilian
folk music .Its origins are obscure, but folklorist
Luís da Câmara Cascudo believes it to be an archaic form of the Arablute (al-luth) that elsewhere evolved into the modern guitar.Brazilian violas have 5 pairs of
steel strings in a body similar to that of a smallerSpanish guitar . A large number of tunings are used; open tunings are common.Violas are present in nearly all
Brazilian music forms, anywhere in the country (although it is declining in some places). It most often associated with "Caipira Music" (Brazilian country music), with some forms of North-Eastern music and with folkloric music. It was once used to play urban music, likechoro ,samba and Maxixe, but has been replaced by the acoustic guitar.The greatest virtuosos of Brazilian viola are
Zé Côco do Riachão (composer fromMinas Gerais ) ,Toninho Ramos (composer fromMinas Gerais live inFrance ) andAlmir Sater (successful singer-songwriter fromMato Grosso do Sul ).A National Association of Viola Players ("Associação Nacional dos Violeiros") has been founded in 2004 and the Ministry of Culture has declared the preservation of the Viola tradition as of national interest.
External links
* [http://www.meumundo.aol.com.br/netinhaericardo/index_int_3.html Boa Música Brasileira] in Portuguese
* [http://www.ericmartins.mus.br Brazilian Musician Viola Player] in Portuguese
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX7xsWM3tyY Junior da Violla Playing Song "Luzeiro" From Almir Sater] (YouTube Video)
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK92rnuaWTM Brazilian Rock Band Charme Chulo Playing "Polaca Azeda" Using Brazilian Viola] (YouTube Music Video)
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